Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Our "Courtship" pt. I

A few days ago, when I wrote about my fake religious vocation, a commenter suggested I write about my husband's and my courtship, which I think is a great idea! :) It's kind of confusing, and not exactly...normal, but I'll give it my best shot. Hopefully, y'all aren't scandalized! ;)

My husband and I met my freshman (his junior) year of college at a Catholic youth group. At the time, he was an Evangelical Protestant trying to save all of us Catholics from going to hell, and I was a cradle Catholic who was just starting to learn about the Faith. I don't really remember interacting with him much that year, but I knew he wasn't Catholic and was really confused about why he was there. lol I was also super intimidated by him because he seemed very blunt (something I am definitely NOT) and extremely smart. He was told by a mutual friend (a Catholic who brought him to the youth group) that I was "the one who looks like a Ba.rbie doll" and he thought I was "too bubbly". lol In the meantime, I was discerning a religious vocation and being BFF with a different Italian boy in our youth group. :)

Fast forward to sophomore year, and Boomz is in the RCIA program at our university parish (haha!), and I'm pretty much in love with religious life and somewhat infatuated with Other Italian Boy. Upon discerning that I was NOT supposed to be with Other Italian Boy (he's now in seminary!), I set my sights on religious life. One of my first interactions with Boomz that year was when I brought an agnostic friend that I met in my astronomy class to a get-together at the university parish. At one point, Boomz looked at me and said, "You know he's in love with you, right?". lol I didn't believe him (I am SO BAD at noticing these things), but later I realized he was right and it gave us something to talk about. Anyway, as I still thought I had a religious vocation, I got my application papers, and then, true to my nature, procrastinated. :) Two months later, I finally decided to start on my papers in the lounge at our parish where a lot of students hung out. I was alone and totally overwhelmed when Boomz walked in. He quoted some Scripture (Phil. 4:6) to help calm my fears, and we talked for a long time. After this interaction, I would find myself making excuses to sit around in the lounge, hoping he'd be there or stop in. lol

When our youth group went to the March for Life that year, Boomz and I got put into the same group (our youth group would split into several groups and walk around D.C. a couple nights before the actual March), and for some reason, I found myself being very excited about that! I got to have some good conversations with him, and we walked around and sang songs from Wi.cked together. :) By this time, I think I had a full-blown crush on him, but was in total denial.

For the rest of the year, he would help me set doctor appointments for my application, provide the emotional support I wasn't getting at home (my parents were completely against me going to the convent), and become my best friend. He'd come over to my apartment and we'd do homework, watch movies, and drink coffee until very late at night (much to the chagrin of my roommates...oops.), and I would go over to his place and attempt to do homework while he and his buddies played video games. lol I realize that our attachment was probably inappropriate since I was entering the convent, but I see now that God was nudging me toward marrying Boomz even then, although at the time I thought that was the devil tempting me. :) There are probably so many things wrong grammatically in that sentence-oh well. lol Anyway, although he was in love with me, he sacrificed himself and his desires to help me enter the convent, which made my love and appreciation for him deepen (although I was mostly still in denial lol).